Chapter 131: The Cocktail Party

On Friday afternoon, Li Mochen still reported to the tournament committee at Storm Stadium and then left.

This time, his classmates and coaches reacted rather flatly, mainly because the media had already reported that his opponent in the sixth round had been bitten by his own dog, and the injuries were said to be severe.

Although many people couldn't understand why a gentle golden retriever would suddenly attack, in any case, Li Mochen had already entered the top thirty-two.

Ironically, this was already the best result Linden Academy had achieved in nearly forty years.

However, far from showing any joy, everyone's faces were pale.

According to William, the reason these people were so upset was that they had lost money.

Two weeks ago, major betting companies like Penguin had already set up odds for Li Mochen, capitalizing on the buzz. Many in the club had placed bets, and they all lost badly.

In fact, the odds set by the betting companies for Li Mochen were not high; betting on Li Mochen losing in the sixth round only had odds of 1.62. But many in the club thought it was a sure win and could earn them some pocket money.

William himself was not spared. He had no money and bet little, losing only 300 gold shields. But precisely because he was a man with no money, those 300 dollars hurt him even more.

After leaving Storm Stadium, Li Mochen did not head to the Dark World. Instead, he drove with Qi Tai to Market Street, where he spent 12,000 gold shields on a top-of-the-line suit at a Magellan brand clothing store, and another 20,000 gold shields on a watch, leather shoes, and the like.

Li Mochen scoffed at designer clothes; even if he wore only sackcloth and straw sandals, he could still be at ease. But he knew that tonight was Angela's first cocktail party in Atlanta. And given Angela's family background, it would surely be a gathering of Atlanta's elite.

At such an occasion, Li Mochen could disregard others' opinions, but he could not ignore the face and feelings of Angela, the host. Besides, he also planned to expand his network at this banquet.

Nelson Sports Group had promised to protect his company, guaranteeing that within a year, the Rising Sun Company would not face any interference from government forces. After his stores opened, Nelson Sports Group would also pressure various police departments to ensure that the Atlanta police would not neglect the security of Rising Sun's stores.

But Nelson Sports Group's guarantee was only for one year. Li Mochen had to prepare in advance and make some arrangements.

Some of the people he met tonight might one day shield the Rising Sun Company from wind and rain.

At seven o'clock in the evening, Li Mochen arrived punctually at the thirty-fifth floor of the Unicorn Apartments.

Just as Angela had said, the decoration had been completed in just over ten days. The overall style was a modern minimalist one that young people liked, luxurious yet understated.

What was astonishing was that the two-story living room, covering over a thousand square meters, could accommodate several hundred people.

The place was already crowded with guests. Although most were young, there were also many of Atlanta's celebrities and dignitaries.

The cocktail party was of a higher caliber than Li Mochen had imagined. He even spotted a few state senators in the crowd. He had seen news about these people before, so they left a deep impression.

However, these few were gathered in a corner of the reception room, talking among themselves, forming a small circle that others could not break into.

"Miss said she would receive you in person, but we didn't expect Senator Claire to come in person. Miss is currently talking with her."

Li Mochen was led in by Lina Adric. The young head maid explained to Li Mochen in a cool tone: "Miss's father is one of the biggest sponsors of the Civic Party and the Conservative Party, but he doesn't have any decent business partners in Atlanta. So most of our guests tonight are from the political circle."

Then she turned and looked at Li Mochen with a questioning gaze: "Would you like me to introduce you to a few friends?"

Li Mochen shook his head. He had long noticed that although her attitude was good and she didn't look down on anyone, the girl was full of wariness and rejection toward him, like a hedgehog on guard.

After leaving Lina, Li Mochen mingled quite well at the party. It wasn't like a fish in water, but he could squeeze into a few circles and chat.

Mainly because he had recently become quite famous, and many people recognized him. Lucky Andre—no one would refuse to know such a luck-bursting guy. Some even came to him to chat.

Most of these people were young scions of famous families. Although they were still students, they all had extraordinary backgrounds.

However, the person Li Mochen really made an effort to befriend was an inspector from the North District Police Station. It was clear that this man was out of place at the party.

An inspector might be a lofty figure in the eyes of ordinary people, but at Angela's party, he wasn't worth a glance from the true elites. The young people here wouldn't talk to someone his age.

This officer, named Kadyra, wanted to join in but was not good at conversation.

Li Mochen noticed his predicament and kept talking with him.

This Kadyra was probably someone who had climbed up from the bottom, without a deep background. But people like him often had strong abilities and great appeal at the grassroots.

In fact, this Randall Kadyra was indeed a powerhouse with a magic profession level of fifteen.

Moreover, as the saying goes, a county magistrate is not as good as a current manager. Six of the stores he planned to open were under the jurisdiction of the North District Police Station. So this inspector was worth befriending.

But just as they were chatting about the recent 'Dragon's Might' conflict, a laugh came from behind Li Mochen: "Hey, isn't this my good friend Andre? Andre Lee Wiltonstein."

Before Li Mochen could react, his body tensed under the original owner's subconscious response. He frowned and looked behind him, then saw a young man about his age smiling at him.

"It's you, Bruno Avison. Sorry, I'm talking with this gentleman."

The original owner's reaction to this person was one of disgust, but Li Mochen didn't want to show it in public, so he merely expressed appropriate coldness.

"Wow, such a cold tone. You don't consider me a friend anymore, Andre? But Penny and I miss you very much."

The smile of the young man surnamed Avison was full of malice: "I guess life hasn't been easy for you since you moved out of Oak Street? You've transferred to Linden Academy, right? A place full of niggers and immigrants."

"It's okay."

Li Mochen replied calmly: "I don't know how you guessed, but it's better than you imagine."